Climate Action Plans (CAPs) are comprehensive plans that help local governments and private entities reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These plans are a piece of the global effort to mitigate climate change by ending our dependence on fossil fuels.

CAPs work like road maps that enable local governments to identify 1) their starting point (how much they’re emitting right now), 2) where they want to go (how much they want to be emitting at a specified future date), and 3) what is the best route to follow (what strategies will most effectively reduce emissions to the target level).

The strategies identified in CAPs can achieve multiple community goals, including:

Advancing social equity

Improving air quality

Lowering energy costs

Supporting jobs and local economic development

Improving public health and quality of life

Because CAPs are developed at the local level, they can be powerful tools to both advance climate solutions and address the unique goals and priorities held by the communities in which they are designed.

What should be in a Climate Action Plan:

Climate Action Plans should aim to address the most significant sources of GHG emissions, which in most cities are transportation, energy, and waste. We recommend CAPs include specific, quantifiable, and enforceablestrategies to meet GHG reduction goals and benefit the communities most impacted by climate change.

To make sure Climate Action Plans are transparent, scientific, legally compliant, and successfully reduce emissions, plans should take the following steps:

For more details on making CAPs and General Plans in California legally compliant with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and state climate laws, check out these tips from the CA Attorney General.

Click the links below to learn more about our key recommended strategies: